In a world filled with snacks, fast food, and deserts it is not surprising we have encountered large numbers of obesity in both men and women. But for every yin there is a yang, and in this case our world has created a problem just as serious as obesity, anorexia.
Hunger speaks out for these silent sufferers and it does so with magnificent grace.
Hunger was the first young adult fantasy book I’ve read that has dealt with this issue. That said I’ve read other books that have dealt with eating disorders, but none with the level of detail and understanding that Hunger exhibits. It is cruel, painful, and strikes home with startling accuracy.
Hunger tells the story of Lisabeth, an anorexic teen who just got appointed to the role of hunger/starvation as one of the four horsemen. Kessler does a fantastic job of paralleling Lisabeth’s struggle for confidence in her position as Hunger with her realization and confrontation of her disease.
In my opinion this is what makes Hunger such a fantastic book, the creative way that Kessler demonstrates the struggles of anorexia and other eating disorders while still retaining an interesting story. Kessler doesn’t fold under the pressure of a making this disease look easy to beat either. Anorexia is a disease that stays with the person for years if not forever, and constantly requires support and will power to deal with it. Kessler shows all of this in intricate detail, and really allows the reader to experience the thoughts and struggles Lisabeth and other’s afflicted with this disease fight everyday.
Because of these brutal truths and the sensational way that Kessler lays them out, I think everyone should read Hunger. It should be a school reading book to show the struggles people deal with on a daily basis. I know that the book isn’t that long and many will see it’s size as not worth the money, but readers should do what they can to read this brutal but fantastic book, it will be worth it once you finish.
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